Douglas Battista: IPO Considerations

Scheduling an IPO is the dream of many entrepreneurs, says Douglas Battista. However, it’s not as easy as printing out a few stock certificates and slapping up a “for sale” sign. The major trading platforms, NYSE and NASDAQ, have strict financial requirements before a company can go public. Once those are met, there is still much work to be done.

Douglas Battista explains that planning an IPO is the most important step. A business owner must first have the right management team in place. Senior managers must exhibit strong financial skills and the ability to follow complex accounting procedures. Communication skills are vital as well, says Battista, especially if C-level staff have never experienced an IPO.

Douglas Battista Explains Private Equity Investments

Private equity, according to Douglas Battista, is money available to private businesses to help with expenses related to product development, acquisition, or expansion or to simply strengthen balance sheets or provide working capital. Here, Battista explains why private equity is often considered a sound investment.

Q: What are the benefits of investing in private equity?

Douglas Battista: Historically, private equity funds have offered both short- and long-term returns that far outweigh traditional stock investments. Private equity investments often have up to a 22% ROI whereas a traditional investment may max out at 10% or less.

Douglas Battista Share Tips for the New Business Traveler

Douglas Battista spends a great deal of his week traveling for his job as President of North America Field Operations for Jenny Craig. Over the last decade, he’s found there are a few “life hacks” that make business travel easier. In this brief discussion, Battista shares some secrets.

Q: Is it possible to avoid germs while traveling?

Douglas Battista: It’s not feasible to sidestep germs altogether, but you can defend yourself against them. I always pack hand sanitizer, bacitracin, and antibacterial wipes. Airplanes can be a melting pot of microorganisms just waiting to infect their next target: you. Use the bacitracin under your nails and coat the inside of your nose to kill germs before they have a chance to get cozy on your skin and in your lungs.

The Loneliest Generation: Douglas Battista on Social Media’s Influence on Social Connectivity

Feelings of isolation and exclusion can affect a person as much as physical pain, say researchers. Many experts have found a correlation between loneliness and health concerns that far outweigh obesity or smoking. Douglas Battista spent the early part of his career in human resources and says being socially isolated can affect a person’s job performance as well.

Loneliness, an emerging concern

According to Douglas Battista, loneliness is a problem exacerbated by modern life. But why? Many believe the changes in contemporary society where nuclear families are the norm and people often live long distances from extended family and friends is part of the problem. Others cite social media as the primary cause of loneliness, especially among teenagers and young adults.

Douglas Battista Lists 4 Ways to Keep Good Employees

Having a well-trained and educated staff is more important than ever, says HR professional Douglas Battista, and keeping them is vital to a company’s success. Here, Battista offers a rundown of four simple ways to keep employees on the clock and out of the competition’s labor force.

1. Reward outstanding behavior and achievements. Douglas Battista explains that many employees come in day after day, perform their specific job functions, and take home a paycheck. But, when someone truly makes an effort to go above and beyond, a token of appreciation is in order. This could be in the form of a small bonus, an invitation to lunch, or recognition during a company meeting.

Douglas Battista | Three Reasons Emails Don’t Solve Problems in the Workplace

Email is a great tool for spreading news, events, and announcements. It is not the most reliable form of communication when emotions may be involved, states Douglas Battista. Here, Battista explains three ways that emails are hindering workplace communication and preventing problems from being solved.

1. Emails tend to prevent us from relating to the other party/parties.

An email, by its very nature, is an impassive way to communicate. Words often lose meaning when they are received without the inflections in the sender’s voice or the expressions that give the words significance. Douglas Battista believes that real relationships, even temporary ones, are forged when each person hears the other out. Only then can the parties relate to each other and come to a place of understanding – which is where problem solving really begins.

Douglas Battista – Make Sure Your Boss Knows What You’re Doing All Day

According to Douglas Battista, when organizations assess talent and make decisions about raises and promotions, the people making the decisions are going through mental notes of their employee’s career—and what matters isn’t necessarily what their employee has actually done; it’s what they know about what their employee has done. So if others get the promotions or recognition you deserve, it could be because you’re not making your accomplishments known.

Q: How can employees make sure they get credit for their work?

Douglas Battista: It’s important for employees to keep their bosses informed. Unfortunately, many employees rarely speak to their managers.